From parking to Red Fort, it’s a long walk

The Red Fort is one of the centerpieces of Indian democracy — the prime minister delivers the Independence Day speech from its ramparts every year — but for tourists who visit it daily, it is just another monument, Nivedita Khandekar reports.

This fort is one of the centerpieces of Indian democracy — the prime minister delivers the Independence Day speech from its ramparts every year — but for tourists who visit it daily, it is just another monument.

HT Image

One of the most pertinent problems is the unavailability of government-approved guides.

Tourists often complain about the lack of trained professional who could interpret the intriguing history of the Mughal seat of power for them.

The parking for the monument is located about more than half a kilometre away, making it difficult — especially for children and the elderly — to reach the fort in the absence of a shuttle service. Some also complain about lack of signages to guide the visitors.

For a monument with an average daily footfall of 10,000, the Red Fort complex does not have an as elementary a facility as a first-aid box.

By the admission of DG, ASI, none of the three world heritage sites in Delhi had first-aid facility. When HT asked security guards and the ASI staff at the Red Fort about the availability of first-aid box, the answer was ‘no’. But it turned out that the first-aid box is kept at the Red Fort office, but not all the staff members are aware of it.